


Holiday

by ZorroRojo



Series: One Day Out West [3]
Category: Stargate SG-1, The Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: Crossover, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-19
Updated: 2013-03-19
Packaged: 2017-12-05 19:43:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 21,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/727191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZorroRojo/pseuds/ZorroRojo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Next in the crossover AU. Things go slightly awry on a mission. Stargate fans will be familiar with the title...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't like to give away plots points in tags or summaries or warnings.

He knew that ceiling. He'd only stared at it more times than he could remember, lying flat on his back, the medical equipment filling the room with all of its whirring, chirping, beeping and printing. Infirmary, sure was, Daniel noticed when he turned his head to the side. Ouch. His very sore head.

There was Jack, halfway across the room, talking to Janet. Oooh, his head hurt. And the room was full of people. There was Chris Larabee, head bowed as he listened while Janet spoke. And JD Dunne, too. Teal'C stood against the wall... okay, he was starting to remember. He shifted his head a fraction. And there was Sam, lying next to him on another gurney. Yes, Sam was with him on this mission. So was Buck and so was Vin. The rest of SG1 and Security Team One were outside the ruins, setting up a perimeter while his small group was inside.

Sam and Buck were investigating some glyphs along the opposite wall from where he and Vin were. Good, good, he could remember that much. But then nothing. 

He tried to get Jack's attention, but he couldn't move... his hand wasn't listening to his brain. Whoa, something big must have hit him for him to not be able to move. He cleared his throat. At least a little sound came out. 

He watched Chris, Jack, and Dr. Fraiser while he tried to get sound to come out of him. It was no use. A nice sip of water, or even some ice chips would be good about now. He could read Jack's lips and wasn't that strange, since he was all the way over there and Daniel couldn't feel his glasses on his face. He tried moving his hand again, and this time, it cooperated, if only a little. 

"He's awake," Larabee said loud enough for Daniel to hear him across the room. Larabee hurried over and leaned over him. "You all right?" Chris asked as he took Daniel's hands between his own hands.

Daniel managed a little nod, searching for Jack. While Daniel and Larabee had become friendly over time, they weren't friendly enough for Chris to be holding his hand. 

He tried to push words out; he wanted to know just what in the world happened to land him in the infirmary this time, but they wouldn't come. It seemed like his brain forgot how to use his body.

"What hurts?" Chris asked him, still holding his hand. "The doc says there's nothing wrong with any of you, but you've all been out for two days."

Daniel wasn't used to having Larabee's full intensity directed at him and it was a little unnerving. He kept looking to Jack for answers, but Jack held back behind Fraiser.

"That's not what I said," Janet said as she came up next to him and shined a light in his eyes. "I said they were all comatose and showing unusual brain activity, but that I can't find anything physically wrong with them."

Chris stroked the back of Daniel's hand softly before releasing it and resting it back on his belly. "Just glad to see those eyes open again," Chris said softly. 

"Jack?" Daniel managed to ask. His voice sounded strange to his own ears, soft and raspy and just... off.

Chris gave him a strange look then, one Daniel couldn't read even if he hadn't just woken up from a coma.

"Jack?" Daniel asked again. 

"Yeah?" Jack said as he stepped next to Daniel's bed.

"Sam? Buck? Vin?" Was everyone else there? Were they all right? He knew Jack would understand what he was asking.

But Jack didn't answer him... he got a funny look on his face. One Daniel saw whenever something big was happening. Uh-Oh.

"Daniel?" Jack asked, nearly whispering.

Now Chris was looking at Jack too. And he didn't look very happy. 

"Oh no," Jack breathed out.

"What? What?" Daniel asked, panicking a little.

"Do you want the good news or the bad news, Daniel?"

"Why are you calling him Daniel?" Chris asked.

Jack held up his hand in Chris' direction and stared at Daniel. Daniel swallowed over the lump in his throat. He knew something was very, very wrong. 

"The good news is that at least this time you have a body that isn't about to check out." Jack stared at him for a minute and Daniel's eyes went to his own hand, then to the rest of his body. He was starting to understand...

"I think you can figure out the bad news on your own," Jack said softly.

"What the hell is going on?" Larabee asked, his voice soft, quiet and menacing.

"That's not Vin," Jack said. "That's Daniel."

"That would explain the EEG abnormalities," Fraiser said as she went to look at the readouts. Daniel watched her go, still not entirely sure what was going on. 

"How?" Daniel managed to ask. "It was an empty room." He recognized why his voice sounded so strange, then. It wasn't his voice. It was Vin Tanner's. Oh no, not again...

Daniel turned his head to the side, studying Sam as she started to wake. It looked like she was having trouble controlling her body's movements, just like he was. Uh-Oh.

"Shit, I feel like I got run over by the noon stage," Sam said. Her eyes went wide as she heard her voice. "What the hell?" she yelled.

"Buck?" Larabee asked.

"Uh-oh," was all Daniel could manage to say.

*****


	2. 2

"So what do we do about this?" Chris asked. All eyes in the room turned to him then. Well, they had to do something, it was about time someone got down to it. "How did you fix it last time?" 

"Last time was different," Dr. Fraiser said. "By the time we knew what happened, we knew what caused it... this... well, I can't even begin to guess. The EEG's are all over the place. "

"We should go back there and find out what caused it." Chris said, looking to Jack.

"We can't," Jack said. "We can't chance this happening to anyone else. That room is off limits for now."

"Agreed," General Hammond said before Chris could argue. 

Dammit, they couldn't just leave things the way they were! When these people told him strange things happened to them, often, he thought they meant *normal* strange things. Not people swapping bodies like they were suits of clothes.

Chris glanced back into the infirmary, trying to get a glimpse of what was going on in there. Daniel... or Vin rather... was on his feet if a little unsteady. The other three still sat on their beds. Arguing, it looked like. 

He didn't believe it was real until they all started talking. Once they started, it was all too clear that they weren't who they were supposed to be anymore. Chris couldn't even look at Buck or Major Carter. He didn't want to think about that just yet. He'd have to soon, if the look on Buck's... er... Major Carter's face was anything to go by. Buck looked like he... she... was in shock. He couldn't get his mind to settle on these strange goings on. Shit, he'd just have to think of them as who they were and not who they looked like. It wasn't going to be easy.

"Chris?"

Chris turned back to Jack and raised an eyebrow. He'd been caught woolgathering and missed half the conversation.

"Right now, we need to get some intel. Once they're," Jack pointed into the infirmary, "ready, they have to be the ones to go back there. That way, if they trigger whatever caused this again, then they get switched back. Until then, we can't do anything." 

Chris and Jack locked eyes for a few seconds and Chris knew Jack was asking for his trust. Hell, the man had earned it.

"Hey," Jack said, trying to smile. "It'll be all right. Strange crap like this happens around here all the time and look at us... as normal as we ever are."

"If you're trying to make me feel better," Chris said, "it isn't working."

"Hey, how bad can it be? They're all healthy and we know where whatever caused it is, all we have to do is figure out how to switch them back, right?"

"You tell Buck that," Chris said as he walked back into the infirmary.

"I told you! I didn't touch anything!" Buck yelled. 

"I didn't say you did, Bucklin, I *asked* you if you touched anything. Cause I know I didn't touch nothin!" 

He was going to lose control, if he had to listen to Vin and Buck arguing and see the words coming out of Major Carter and Daniel's bodies. Chris Larabee had no idea what to do, something he wasn't used to at all.

"Look at me!" Buck yelled. "I'm a woman! No offense, ma'am," he said a little quieter. "It's a right nice body, but it ain't mine. I can't believe this," Buck muttered, shaking his head. Short blond hair spun around his head as he shook it harder. "Not happening, this isn't happening to me," he muttered some more.

"Chris? That you?" Vin asked, squinting. "I can't see a damn thing."

"Let's all calm down," Daniel said. He turned and looked at his own body, currently occupied by Vin. "That is the strangest thing, hearing your voice when I talk. That will take some getting used to."

"I'm not plannin on gettin used to nothin," Buck shouted.

Shit. Chris shook his head. Buck wasn't going to be in any mood to be rational and Chris couldn't blame him.

"Y'all are actin like nothing's wrong," Vin said turning to Chris and Jack. "I can't see anything. How can you live like this?" he directed at Daniel.

Daniel shrugged. "I'm used to it, I guess."

"Sam?" Dr. Fraiser asked, "Are you okay?"

Major Carter shook her head. "I have a mustache," she nearly whispered, fingering her mustache.

"I know it feels a little strange," Daniel said as he tried to stand. "Last time this happened, I couldn't get out of bed. Hmmm... the floor's further away than it normally is." He nearly fell on the way down.

Chris got to Daniel's side in time to keep him from falling to the floor. He grabbed him around the waist and hauled him to his feet, Daniel clutching his arm.

"Wow, everything looks so different," Daniel said as he looked around. "I reach out to touch something and I don't reach far enough. Interesting..."

"Daniel," Jack said, stretching the name out. "You can learn later. Right now, we need to figure out what to do."

"Right... right," Daniel said, still looking around the room like he had a new toy to play with, still clutching Chris' arm. 

Chris let him go, taking a step back. That wasn't Vin, no matter what it looked like. 

Daniel wrapped his arms around his body and Chris stepped back even further. The more Daniel moved and talked, the easier it was to see it wasn't really Vin. He looked for Vin, spotting him standing near Buck, still squinting around the room.

"Where are your spectacles?" Chris asked Daniel.

"Here," Dr. Fraiser said, handing them to Chris. 

He took his time approaching Vin and when Vin's eyes focused on him, Chris held out the eyeglasses. "Put these on." 

Vin gave him an annoyed look but put them on.

"Better?" Chris asked.

"Some, but I still can't see worth a damn."

"I'm a woman and he's complaining he can't see?" Buck yelled. "We gotta fix this!"

"Buck, calm down," Chris said. "That's what we're trying to do. Getting hysterical won't get you your body back."

"Hysterical? Hysterical? You making fun of me?"

Chris held up his hands. "That's not what I meant." 

"Well that's what it sounded like!"

Chris scrubbed his face with his hands and looked to Jack for help, but Jack stood there with his hands in his pockets, going up and down on his toes. Chris didn't think his life could get any stranger, after waking up 125 years in the future, but boy, had he been wrong.


	3. 3

*****

Oh Lord, what had he ever done to deserve this? He risked a glance down. Nope, not a dream. He didn't want to look up either. Vin and JD would be laughing at him again. At least Chris wasn't laughing at him. And he couldn't look across to where Major Carter sat. She was in his body! His! Not fair. This was all some crazy dream he'd wake up from and then laugh about, right?

"Buck?"

Buck finally raised his head and looked at Chris. He could look at Chris, Chris was still Chris and Chris would find a way to fix this. Never a better man to have at your side when the chips were down, that was for sure.

"We'll find a way to get you back in your body, I know we will. Hell, these people have been through this before and they're who they're supposed to be."

"How do we know that? What if Jack is really Daniel and Daniel is really Jack? For all we know, they switch bodies all the time."

"Calm down," Chris said and Buck felt like belting him. There wasn't anything worse than telling someone to calm down when they were upset.

"Look at me, Chris!"

Chris did look at him then and at least Chris had the sense to keep that evil smile he had off his face. Was a good thing, too, or he might have been off that bed belting him before he could stop himself. Probably would have fallen flat on his face, too. The one time he tried to stand, he couldn't get his balance.

"Hey, Buck!" JD nearly shouted. "Think about all the pretty dresses you get to wear now!"

Vin and JD were near to rolling around on the floor laughing at him. 

Oh Lord, what had he done to deserve this? He made a promise then, if he could have his own body back, he wouldn't tease his friends quite so much. For now though, he would be the brunt of their jokes and he knew it.

"I don't own many dresses," his own voice called out to him. Buck covered his face with his hands, but it just felt wrong, all wrong.

"Hey Bucklin," Vin called out, "I don't think I ever been more grateful for anything than you being the one on that side of the room."

"Go ahead and laugh, Vin," Buck said, knowing he was showing he was pissed and not caring. "You ain't in your body either, so you just laugh it up."

"Yeah, but at least I ain't in that one," Vin laughed out. "Come on, get up, you won't get used to it until you move around some."

"I don't plan on getting used to it!"

"You can't sit there and cry like a big ole girl, Buck. Not a one of us gets our own body back until we go back there. So you need to get ahold of yourself, little lady." Vin's smile was wide and wicked. Buck wanted to wipe it off his face. 

"You just wait, Vin. I'm going to beat you stupid once we're back in our own bodies."

"That's the spirit," Chris said, finally letting out the smile he'd been hiding. "See, you know you'll get your body back."

Buck dropped his head again. How could he live like this? "I need to lie down," he whispered.

"Uhn-un," Vin said, right next to him. "I want my body back, so you're getting up and proving to the docs that you can do what needs doing inside of that body!"

"I got it, Vin," Chris said, motioning Vin away. "You go do what they need you to, okay? Take JD with you." Chris didn't make a move toward him until they were gone and for that, Buck was thankful. If it was a normal prank, he could handle JD and Vin laughing at him no problem. But this was anything but normal.

"Thanks, Chris," Buck said softly. He hated talking and hearing someone else's voice.

"Think of it as learning more about women. Right?"

Hey, that was actually a good idea. As long as he knew it wasn't permanent, he could handle it. All right, convincing himself might be a little harder than that.

"Come on, get up."

Buck let Chris help him to his feet and he felt like he was going to fall flat on his face again. He let Chris walk him around the room a few times and it did get better the longer he was on his feet. 

"Better?" Chris asked him.

"Yeah," Buck said after a few minutes. "I think I can walk on my own now. You need to check on Vin?"

Chris looked over to where Vin was being prodded by the medical staff. He looked fine to Buck, but Chris could read him better than Buck could. Vin almost always looked fine to Buck, but Chris worried over him constantly anyway.

"Nah, he's all right. I think he's just thankful he's not in your shoes," Chris said.

"Oh, I'll be sure to tell him how happy I am to be of service," Buck said, putting some menace into his voice.

"Hell, Buck, you know if it was him in this body, you'd be picking on him until he shot you."

Buck didn't want to admit Chris had a point. But it wasn't Vin that got turned into a woman, it was him. It wasn't funny! He walked around the room some more, concentrated on getting his balance and being able to move everything at the same time. Everything looked different from someone else's eyes. For one thing, he couldn't see the tops of people's heads any more. He was usually one of the tallest people in any room. At least he was still taller than JD.

Buck got a funny feeling then and it took some thought to figure out what caused it. Oh no. Why hadn't he thought of this before?

"Chris!"

"What?" Chris asked, turning away from watching Vin and back to Buck.

"I gotta... well, I gotta go." Seeing the blank look on Chris' face, he explained. "To the privy!" he whispered.

"You know where it is," Chris said.

"Chris! How am I gonna do that? I can't... this ain't my body. I don't even know how."

Chris did laugh at him then. Louder than Buck had ever heard him do.

It wasn't funny!

"I'm sure you'll figure it out, Buck." Chris finally said.

"Come with me?"

"What? No!"

"Some friend," Buck muttered as he stumbled off to the bathroom. He could do this, he had to. He'd seen women use a chamber pot, he knew how it worked. And he was real familiar with that part of women's anatomy. He'd seen it up close and personal enough times.

He looked back into the main infirmary room before he closed the door behind him. Vin and JD were staring at him and Vin had that smile on his face again. Doctor Jackson had a nice smile. But if Vin didn't stop provoking Buck, he'd get it back missing some teeth.

When he shut the door behind him, Buck nearly couldn't go through with it. He respected Doctor Carter, downright liked her, actually. Might even be going a little sweet on her. It felt disrespectful to be looking at her body... touching her body. But it wasn't hers any more, it was his for now. And some things needed to be done. 

He banged his forehead against the door. "This has got to be some kind of punishment," he said, looking up. "You think this is funny too, don't you?" God was playing a joke on him, that's what it was.

The pressure on his bladder grabbed his attention again quickly, though, and he knew he didn't have time to dally. He gritted his teeth, turned and got himself situated with his backside in front of the toilet. It was easier getting the clasp and zipper of her pants undone than he thought it'd be, but as he bent to have a seat, he damn near fell off. Damn thing wasn't as far away from his tush as it usually was. "All right, you can do this," he said, waiting for nature to take over.

Took a painful moment, and sweat began to pop out on his forehead, but at last the trickle began, and Buck sighed in relief as it became a steady stream. Finally, he was finished, and was just about stand and yank up his drawers, when he noticed the dribble. Oh hell. Head whipping around in panic, he finally laid eyes on the bathroom paper. He pulled off a bunch, then pulled off a bunch more. He wasn't gonna touch nothing he shouldn't, wasn't taking any chances. He squeezed his eyes shut tight as he reached down and dabbed.

There. That wasn't so bad. Actually, it wasn't bad at all. Hmm. No wonder women spent so much time in the powder room, he thought to himself. That thought immediately brought a flush to his cheeks, but he couldn't help the things that went through his mind, he reasoned. He did get himself up quick enough, though, and got those pants up before he did something truly dishonorable. Thinking about dishonorable things inside a pair of pants, Buck realized it was possible that Doctor Carter was gonna have to take care of business too, before they switched back. Wasn't it just his luck? That the first time that fascinating, beautiful woman touched his dick, Buck wasn't even gonna be there to enjoy it.

There wasn't a damn thing about this mess that was fair, Buck grumbled to himself as he washed his hands and got ready to face the others again.

*****


	4. 4

*****

It was going to be one of those weeks, Jack knew, when he stepped out of the wormhole and into the gateroom. "General," he nodded as he greeted Hammond.

"Any luck?"

Jack looked to Teal'C, who stepped through the gate right behind him. "None. Monumental waste of time was what it was."

"Indeed, it was," Teal'C confirmed and Jack could *hear* the frustration in his voice. Jack shook his head again, if Teal'C was frustrated and showing it, then he couldn't be blamed for his lack of control, either. But that didn't make him feel any better.

"Care to elaborate, Colonel?"

Jack stepped off the gate platform and headed toward the conference room. Might as well get comfortable. As soon as he and the general settled in, he gave his report.

"It's an empty room. The Ancients built it, Daniel says."

Hammond wasn't about to let him get away with that total lack of information. "And?"

Jack threw his arms in the air. "And what? It's an empty room."

"You were there for four days and all you can say is it's an empty room?"

"That's all we know."

"Colonel, I have two teams down indefinitely. We need more than that."

"Well, sir, there isn't more than that." 

Hammond studied him for a moment. Jack knew he was just this side of insubordination and he would dial it back some, but he and Hammond had so much history that the general would cut him some slack. Which was a very good thing, because he needed it.

"How are they holding up?"

"Except for Tanner going into anaphylactic shock, he and Daniel are fine. It's Major Carter and Wilmington that are going to be the problem. They're okay for now. I think Major Carter might even be enjoying her stint as one of the guys. I don't see that lasting much longer though. And if somebody had to be in Sam's body, I guess Wilmington's handling it better than any of the others would."

"Hold on, Colonel. Tanner went into shock and you didn't send him back?" Hammond asked, eyebrow raised.

Jack waved off Hammond's concern. Tanner wouldn't let a little thing like not breathing stop him. "You know I carry an epi pen, he's fine. Daniel forgot to tell him the body he's in is allergic to peanuts," and a million other things, Jack said to himself. The general didn't need the gory details.

"Do you think it's time to assign someone else to this, Colonel?"

"Let's give it a few more days. I left them in camp, writing instructions for the care and feeding of their former bodies so we don't have a repeat of this morning's fiasco."

"How long are you staying?" Hammond asked as he and Jack stood to leave.

"I'm here for supplies, Daniel's allergy meds and a shower. I gave Teal'C a few days to visit Ryac, if that's all right with you."

"Fine, Colonel. I'll let you decide when to call it. No more than another week and then we look for other, longer term solutions, understood? Major Carter and Doctor Jackson are needed here, no matter what body they inhabit."

"Yes, sir," Jack sighed out as he headed out of the conference room and toward his office.

He was so glad to be away from the squabbling that he almost felt guilty, leaving Larabee in charge with no back up. The rest of Larabee's team wasn't helping, the way they kept poking fun at Wilmington. Jack was having a hard enough time dealing with the little switcheroo himself. He'd never seen Tanner so fidgety or Daniel so still. But Daniel was Vin and Vin was Daniel. It was enough to give him a headache.

He'd sneak some downtime while he was here. Shower than a nice long nap in Larabee and Tanner's old room, yup, that sounded about right.


	5. 5

*****

Why couldn't he just die right now instead of having to live through this prolonged torture? His bones ached, and not in the way he was used to, right before it would rain. Every single bone and joint in his body ached. He couldn't breathe, his nose was stopped up good. And his god-dammed eyes were so itchy, he was like to rub them right out of his head. Wouldn't matter none because he couldn't see worth a damn out of them anyway.

But at least he wasn't in Buck's shoes, he reminded himself.

Vin rolled over on his bedroll, trying to block the light that seeped in through the gap in the tent flaps. The light just made his eyes itch and water some more. His arm stung too, from where Jack stuck him with that needle.

Allergies was what Daniel had called this sickness, but it felt like the damn plague to him. How could anyone live like this? He sniffled and rubbed at his nose. It itched and he couldn't make it stop. He'd nearly rubbed it raw. If Jack didn't get back with some relief for him soon, he didn't know what he'd do.

"Still can't breathe?" Chris asked him from across the tent.

Vin didn't answer. He was miserable and not in any kind of mood for talking. He'd always laughed at Chris when Chris got struck down by a summer cold, before. He laughed because Larabee was such a baby about it and Vin never got sick. He couldn't remember the last time he even had a stuffy nose.

It wasn't fair. He'd survived the worst life had to offer and now he wanted to die because of allergies?

"Do you need to go back?" Chris asked him.

Vin shook his head. No, he wouldn't be a baby. Chris would never let him live it down if he acted that way. Oh no, not again! Vin almost groaned as he felt another sneezing fit about to start. He lost count after about the fifth sneeze and when it was over, he rolled onto his belly.

"You're getting stuff all over the bedroll," Chris said as he handed him some tissues. 

He squinted up at Chris and tried to make him back off by glaring at him, but he knew he managed to only look pitiful. "Thanks," Vin sniffed out. "Glad to know yer so concerned."

"I'm not the one who insisted on staying here," Chris said before he got up and stalked out of the tent.

He could hear Chris arguing with someone, but he didn't get up. Hell, for all he knew, it wasn't arguing. His ears were so stuffed up that he couldn't hear anything. He sat up, hoping it would help him breathe better. With no one there to see him, he didn't worry about how miserable he looked. He had to remind himself, again, how happy he was not to be in Buck's shoes. Maybe he should have gone back to the base with Jack.

But if he went back, how would they get back in their own bodies. He wasn't thrilled to be in Daniel's body, but it wasn't the end of the world. Not yet anyway. He made fun of Buck every chance he got, but he wanted to do his part to set things right. He wouldn't let a little thing like a stuffed nose and watery eyes keep him from doing his part. 

He stumbled to his feet and followed Chris out of the tent. Laying around feeling sorry for himself in his tent was worse than going back to the base. He was useless to the mission either way.

"Where's Buck and Sam?" he asked Chris and Daniel when he got close enough for them to hear.

"You should be lying down," Daniel said. Only Daniel was Vin. Made Vin madder than all get out to see Daniel sitting there in his body, calm as could be. 

"I'm fine," Vin said, only he started sneezing again.

"He's stubborn," Chris said to Daniel as if Vin wasn't even there. 

"You ate enough Peanut Butter Cups to kill me," Daniel said.

"That thing Jack stabbed me with was supposed to fix that," Vin replied, knowing he was only reinforcing that remark about being stubborn, but unable to stop himself.

Daniel huffed quietly for a minute while Vin wiped his nose again, then answered him. "Yes, the injection stopped it from killing me, but between that and the allergies, you're going to feel like hell for a while."

Daniel sat down then, and leaned back against one of their supply crates. He pressed his fist against his belly and let out a quiet burp. His face looked damn near green, and Vin knew exactly why. "You're one to talk. You ate enough of them power bars today to stuff me like a holiday turkey."

"Oh please, you're going to tell me--" 

"Boys!" Chris interrupted before Daniel could finish. "We get it. You both need to learn to eat differently in each other's bodies."

Vin glared at Chris, but didn't say anything more. Much as he felt the urge to get some of this irritation off his chest, Vin knew it wasn't fair to make Chris listen to it. He plopped to the ground across from Daniel, and let out another series of sneezes that damn near took his head right off his shoulders. As he glanced up again, he saw another wad of tissues in front of his bleary eyes. He grabbed them without hesitation. "Thanks."

As his vision cleared-- at least a little-- Vin spotted Buck and Major Carter coming out of the structure.

"Buck?" Chris called out tentatively.

"Still in here," he answered glumly from Major Carter's body. He kept going past the camp, stomping in the direction of the latrine they'd set up for him. Her. Damn, but it was hard to keep it straight.

Vin felt a grin creeping up on him though, despite his misery. He glanced over at Daniel, and saw a matching grin on his face. A chuckle came out of Vin's mouth then, and again, Daniel matched it.

Chris let out a frustrated sigh, though. "Figures the one thing that gets the two of you through this is Buck having to squat to take a piss."

That only made him and Daniel laugh harder. Vin was surprised when he caught a look at Major Carter laughing, too. He supposed Chris sometimes forgot the same as they all did that it wasn't a man inside Buck's body these days. 

"Sorry about that, Major," Chris said, a grin on his face, too.

"Don't be," she answered, puffing up a little much the way Buck would, now and then.

Vin shook his head, still chuckling. The major might not like the mustache, but she sure seemed to be getting awful used to having a man's body.

When Vin turned his head again in Daniel's direction, he spotted him flipping a page on a whole stack of papers. "What's that?" Vin asked, curious. All the data for this mission was on those little computer things they brought.

"Your instructions for my body," Daniel answered, his tone suggesting he expected Vin to have known that. "Aren't you going to finish yours?"

Vin's eyes were wide as he looked at all those papers in Daniel's lap. "You writing me a damn novel about yourself? Hell, my list of instructions has two things: Don't cut my hair, and stop eating so dang much."

Daniel looked at him with a strange expression; his head was tilted and he looked more confused than a donkey at a sheep-sheering. He shook his head after a second though, and went back to writing. Vin let out an annoyed breath, and then promptly sneezed again. Where the hell was Jack with them allergy pills?


	6. 6

*****

Uh-Oh. He knew that look, even if it was currently coming from the wrong face. "What's wrong, Daniel?" Jack asked as soon as he reached the camp afer he'd stepped through the gate. 

Daniel sat propped against some crates, his shoulders sagging and his hands crossed in his lap. "What?" Daniel shook his head. "Nothing, nothing's wrong, Jack."

Jack dropped his pack to the ground. He'd only just come back from the base and he knew without getting a report that no progress had been made. Sam and Buck were nowhere to be seen, so he figured they were in the ruins picking up Tanner and Daniel's slack. But from the slump of his shoulders, it seemed pretty clear that Daniel wasn't particularly optimistic.

"Bummed you might be stuck in that body?" 

Daniel's head shot up.

Bull's eye! Jack nearly crowed with smugness over his perceptiveness.

"Uhm... well... uhm... no."

"Right. Back in a minute," Jack said, and shouldered his pack, heading to Larabee and Tanner's tent. Daniel would talk to him and fess up in his own good time, and meanwhile Jack could check in on the others. 

"Knock, knock," Jack called out.

Larabee stuck his head out a moment later. "Bout time you got back," Larabee said as he pulled the tent flap. Jack ignored the tone, mostly because he knew he'd taken his sweet time while back on Earth. His shower had felt like heaven and it was worth every bit of Larabee's glare.

"The instructions are with the pills," Jack said as he glanced at the lump that could only be Vin. 

"How long will it take to work?" Chris asked him.

"A couple of hours and he should be feeling better," Jack said. "If he didn't eat all those Peanut Butter Cups earlier, he'd feel a lot better."

"Well how the hell was he supposed to know that?" Chris snapped.

"Whoa there, Chris." Jack held up his hands. Okay, it wasn't funny when Tanner was gasping for breath and turning blue, but now that he was fine, it was kind of funny. Tough guy Tanner knocked down by some Reese's. But it didn't look like Chris was ready to find it funny just yet. "I didn't say he should have known. Daniel give you his instructions?"

"Yeah," Chris said as he took the drugs and went to get a canteen.

"Okay, I'll be going now," Jack said to Larabee's back. Chris didn't respond, and Jack didn't expect him to. He had other things on his mind, fussing over Vin being only part of it. Tanner would be on his feet soon enough, Jack knew, and that would go a long way toward soothing Larabee's surliness. If Daniel could handle allergy attacks, well, Tanner wouldn't be on his back for long.

Jack turned and stepped back into the sunlight to find Daniel exactly where he'd left him, strange look still on his face. One more errand and then he'd deal with Daniel. He was a colonel, not a cub scout leader, but it all seemed to be part of the job description.

He threw his pack down in Daniel's general vicinity and headed off toward the ruins. He nodded to Dunne, Sanchez and Nathan on the outskirts and ducked down into the anteroom. Standish and Wilmington were perched on crates, playing cards.

"Ah-hem."

"Ah, Colonel O'Neill, you've returned."

"Just in time, I see." Jack said, looking them both over.

"Major Carter sent Buck out here because he was beginning to rankle."

"She doesn't need you?" Jack asked Buck.

"Nah. She's looking for a power source and said I'd be in the way. So I'm staying out of her way. I can't look at her in my body and concentrate on anything else. She's right," Buck said with a shrug. "I was just in her way in there."

"How about you go in and tell her to come look for me when she's got a few minutes?"

Buck nodded and he and Ezra returned their attention to their game. Jack shook his head at them and headed off to find Daniel. Maybe he could solve one of the little flare-ups in progress.

There wasn't much else he could do. He wasn't looking forward to breaking the news that they'd be heading back in two days. Sam was needed for a major gate diagnostic and Daniel was in the middle of a translation that couldn't wait much longer.

"So what's wrong?" Jack asked as he took a spot on the ground next to Daniel.

Daniel didn't answer him for a minute, but Jack was confident he would... eventually. 

"Guilt," Daniel said out of the blue.

"What the hell do you have to feel guilty about?" 

Daniel gave him the, 'oh, come on, Jack' look. It was another expression Jack recognized instantly even though it came from Tanner's face. The look was still all Daniel. There wasn't any mistaking it.

"You couldn't have known he brought along snacks," Jack said, trying to figure out another way to say it. "Look, we're all a little thrown, Daniel. It didn't even occur to us that something like this would happen."

"No, no, that's not it," Daniel said, getting up to pace.

"Wanna clue me in then?"

"Sam and Buck are having a tough time. Well, Buck is at any rate. Sam's still thinking of this as a scientific experiment she can learn from."

"Yeah?" Jack nodded, waiting for Daniel to get to the meat of the problem.

"Okay, you'd agree that switching genders is a pretty serious thing to deal with, right?"

"Well, I wouldn't be exactly happy to lose... uhm... uhm... certain parts."

"That's putting it mildly," Daniel said, smirking at him. Jack would've recognized that look anywhere, too.

"I get your point. Wilmington and Sam have some issues to deal with. Sam will be fine and hopefully, this won't last long enough for Wilmington to crack."

"Vin's been sick the entire time we've been here."

"I know that, Daniel," Jack said, still not sure where this was going.

"Look at me," Daniel said, staring Jack in the eye, searching. 

Jack threw up his hands. "You lost me."

"There's nothing wrong with me. Even if I had to spend the rest of my life in this body, well, it wouldn't exactly be terrible. I'd get used to it." 

"So you're feeling guilty because you're not sick or a woman?"

Daniel shook his head. "It's not like Tanner's body is unattractive, Jack. Okay, he's a little short and scrawny, but I can handle that. My life is the only one that won't really change if we're stuck this way!"

Ah... Jack got it now. There wasn't anything Jack could do about it, though. "Well, Larabee lusting after you should give you a little trouble," Jack said. As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Jack knew he'd said the wrong thing. "Hey, I'm just trying to give you reasons to feel miserable, so you don't have to feel so guilty."

Okay, Daniel had that 'you're crazy, Jack' expression on his face again, but at least there was a smile lurking there, too. "Thank you, Jack. Your support is as appreciated as it is disturbing," Daniel finally said.

"Hey, I'm here to help," Jack grinned back. He'd handled that well, he thought. "C'mon, let's get chow started and then go track down Sam, all right?"

Daniel looked like he wanted to say something else, but Jack stood and held out his arm, gesturing for Daniel to go ahead. Daniel did so without comment, but Jack knew he'd only dodged the first bullet in this mess; there'd be plenty more to come, that he was sure of. Daniel would likely find other reasons to feel guilty if they didn't resolve this soon, and Jack knew that it was only a matter of time before the others started to show the signs of genuine stress at the situation. Jack had the distinct and sinking feeling that his earlier reprieve at the base would be his last for quite a while.


	7. 7

*****

Vin glanced all around before heading toward the latrine. He didn't want anyone seeing him and maybe following him. Chris was with Buck, dealing with some problem or another, that much he knew. All the others were on guard duty and that left Jack and Daniel unaccounted for. Jack was probably riding herd on the rest of the guys, while Chris was busy. And Vin needed to talk to Daniel anyways.

He shoulda asked Chris what he wanted to know, but he the more he thought about it, the more he thought he'd be disrespecting Daniel's privacy if he did just that. 

Vin finished his business and glanced down before tucking away his new dick. And *that* was the problem. Hell, he didn't know how to get through this, but it was something he needed to know. And dammit if Daniel didn't even mention it in that novel he wrote about his body. Vin read it twice, then had Chris read it to him. Nothing about his dick on there, that was for sure.

There Daniel was. Vin would just grit his teeth and get through it. "Daniel?"

Daniel jumped a little and Vin knew the feeling. Was the strangest thing to hear your own voice coming from another body.

"Are you feeling better?" Daniel asked.

"Yup," Vin said, nodding. "Not too happy I'm goin have to give up strawberry ice cream for a spell, but I'll live."

"Not if you don't give it up," Daniel said, loosing some of the shine off his smile. "Look, Vin, I'm sorry."

Vin waved him off. Weren't really anything to be sorry for. Wasn't Daniel's fault he had them allergies, just like if Vin's back was still crooked, he wouldn't owe Daniel no apology for it. 

"Are you feeling up to taking a shift down in the chamber? I'd like to videotape everything."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Them pills Jack brought work real well." Vin shifted a little, wondering just how to ask what he wanted to know. 

"Something else?" Daniel asked him.

"Uhm... uhm...," and didn't it just figure that Daniel's body blushed worse than his own. He could feel it blossoming on his face and creeping down his neck and chest. He was a grown man, he shouldn't blush like a schoolgirl.

"Vin, you can ask me anything."

Sometimes it threw Vin, how earnest Daniel could look. It was endearing, if a little distracting looking at himself without a looking glass. 

"You'd agree this is a pretty intimate situation, right?" Daniel asked him.

All right, he'd just have to be out with it. But he couldn't look Daniel in the eye. "There's something wrong with your, you know," he gestured downward, toward his groin.

"My penis?" Daniel asked and Vin nearly fled. Instead he nodded.

Hell, if'n he was looking to bed Daniel, he wouldn't be so damn shy, and wasn't that the damndest thing. Truth was, if he met Daniel in his time, and Daniel was open to it, he *would* want to bed him. Getting real intimate with his body only confirmed it. He blushed again, thinking how hard he got the first time he looked at Daniel's body without any clothes on. Funny getting all hot and bothered about your own self.

"It's missing something," Vin said, looking Daniel in the eye this time. 

Daniel stared back at him for a minute, still looking like he wanted to be helpful. "Missing something?" he asked.

Vin nodded again.

Understanding crossed Daniel's face then and Vin nearly sighed in relief. He wouldn't have to say anything else out loud. "I can't believe I didn't mention that," Daniel said, chuckling a little. A blush started on his face too and Vin didn't feel nearly so silly any more. "Of course you wouldn't know about that," Daniel said. 

"Musta hurt," Vin answered softly.

"What? Oh, no, no. It was done when I was first born. You see, some cultures do that to all male children, but you wouldn't have been exposed to it, I know. It's called circumcision. You see..."

Vin held up his hand. He was starting to blush again and knowing so only made it intensify. "I don't need to know the details. Jist wanted to make sure there weren't nothing wrong and that there wouldn't be a problem if... well... if..."

"I understand," Daniel said, cutting Vin off. "No, there won't be a problem. It works just fine."

"Well, yeah, I know it works... I mean, not that I've... I just... aw hell..." Of course he knew it worked, it'd been attached to him for a number of days now. It just felt really strange. Every time he looked at it and saw the naked head, it threw him a little. It was kind of irritating, having his dickhead rubbing against his underwear. Kinda chafed. 

"Okay then," Daniel said looking away. 

Larabee must be rubbing off on Vin, for the thought he had next. Hell, fair was fair. "You uhm... you got any questions about... you know?" Please understand, Vin pleaded silently. Don't make me say it.

"I'm all set," Daniel said, blushing crimson again. 

Hell, the awkward silence between them was almost worse than the conversation. "When do you want to take our turn in the ruins?" Vin asked when he couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Now?" Daniel asked.

"That's good. Let me grab my pack," Vin said as he turned to head to his tent and get control of his features so he didn't feel like such a fool.

"Vin?" Daniel asked and Vin froze. 

Damn, he thought they were done.

"I don't have a problem with you... uhm... you know... if something comes up."

Vin nodded without turning around. "Feeling's mutual," Vin finally managed to say, then took off, trying to not look like he was feeling the scene of a crime.

*****


	8. 8

*****

On the scale of things she'd had to deal with over the years, this wasn't so bad, Sam told herself. Alien viruses, being infected by Gao'uld, destruction of the Earth, mirror universes, replicators. She could go on and on. One more look in the mirror and she'd need to keep listing all the things that had happened over the years. 

While it was fun to be in this male body for a little while, she didn't want to stay in it forever. It had hair places she wasn't used to having hair, and not just the mustache, either.

Once in awhile, over the years, she maybe might have wished to have been born male. But those thoughts were fleeting. She liked who she was, but it would have been easier to have been a man, especially in the field she'd chosen.

She had to get her mind off what happened to her and back onto the mission. But they were the same thing, weren't they?

She should have known getting back into their own bodies wouldn't be easy. Things never seemed to be easy. It kept life interesting though. Of all the things she'd seen over her years with the SGC, there wasn't much she'd change if she could, including the nothing being easy part.

Seeing another face staring back at her in the mirror, though, this was a tough one. But she was a scientist, she lived to collect data and to learn new things. She'd just have to keep reminding herself this was another learning experience.

When they'd returned from the planet the night before, she'd bunked down in Standish's old room. He lived in the compound up on the mountain now, with the rest of the men, so his room was empty but still furnished.

But until Buck brought her some of his clothes, she'd have to wear BDU's. That wasn't any different than usual, though. She could handle that. It was what was under the BDU's that was a little harder to handle. 

She stared at herself in the mirror a little longer. She was about to take her first full shower since this whole thing began. She checked the time again; she had another half an hour before she had to be at the meeting. Plenty of time.

Out of deference to the real owner of this body, she'd only done what needed doing, hadn't really explored the way her curiosity had her wanting to. But after today's meeting, she had a feeling that would change. Why wait?

She stripped out of her shirts first. Wilmington sure was a skinny guy. The flat chest and small nipples threw her a little, not that she hadn't seen plenty of naked men... she just wasn't used to seeing one when she looked in the mirror.

It was kind of nice not having to wear a bra, though. What wasn't so nice was having to adjust things a little lower down. How men walked around with things dangling down there wasn't something she ever thought about. Or why they sat with their legs open, either.

Here goes. She stripped out of the rest of her clothes and stared at her body in the mirror for a few minutes. She'd gotten used to the foreskin now, but it kind of startled her, first time she'd had to pee. She'd never seen an uncircumcised one in person before.

It was her body for now, it wouldn't hurt to touch. And no one would know. 

 

It was only through firsthand experience, of course, that Sam discovered all that crap about cold showers probably wasn't crap at all. She should have known that abandoning the exploration of Buck's body for a hot shower while still sporting an erection would have led to... more fervent exploration. She'd been surprised as hell though, when her curiosity in front of the mirror had resulted in an instant hard-on. Instead of trying to think of a way to make it go back down, though, she'd immediately jumped in the shower, thinking that if she just went about her business, it'd go down on its own.

Wrong assumption number one. 

It was with a cycle of guilt, rationalization and guilt again that she finished dressing once she'd finally finished the actual lather and rinse part of the shower. She couldn't help but feel guilty, feeling as though she'd violated Buck's trust by taking pleasure in his body without his consent. Then again, wasn't it really herself who'd been at a disadvantage, held hostage by the demands of the body she occupied? She'd never before had to control such unyielding physical urges. Without the experience necessary to harness the testosterone raging in Buck's body, no way could Sam have avoided bringing herself to shattering climax under the hot spray of the shower. The body itself would accept no less, and she was left with no other option but keep her hand on Buck's cock, stroking and teasing it, until it reached orgasm and freed her of what it commanded.

As far as rationalizations, that was a pretty damned good one, she decided, breathing easier as she laced her boots and finally felt the last of the hardness subside. Of course, that thought led her to wrong assumption number two. From all she'd known and experienced as a woman, a penis usually acquiesced after an orgasm and returned to its usual flaccid state. Not always so, she'd found out.

Sam still wasn't sure if that was a product of Buck's sexual appetite, or if her mind's fascination with experiencing ejaculation for the first time had caused the erection to continue unabated. Whatever the case, Sam was absolutely certain that she'd had no other choice but to cajole another orgasm out of it. She wouldn't have been able to finish her shower and make it to the briefing otherwise.

Oh, damn. She whipped her head around until she spotted the clock on the wall. Her heartbeat sped up with the dismay at being half an hour late already. All right, so she'd just have to shove all of this aside and do her best to stick to business from here on out. 

She flung the door to the room open, and nearly ran into herself. Jeez, that was always startling, no matter what scientific bent she tried to put on it.

"Well, hey there, handsome," Buck said, grinning up at Sam with a smirk she knew she'd never worn in her life.

"Buck. I'm just on my way to the briefing room."

"Thought I was gonna have to send someone in that shower after ya," he said, that smirk entirely too knowing for Sam's comfort.

"I'm just a little beat. Took me longer than I expected," Sam said, shouldering past Buck.

"Oh, I can imagine. So... you tested it out, huh."

"Tested? I don't know what you mean," Sam answered, feeling her face flush crimson at the lie.

"Sure, you do. You're forgettin', I know exactly how long it takes to shower-- and whatnot-- with that body. Impressive, ain't it," Buck added, positively beaming.

"Impre--?" Sam couldn't even finish the thought. She was at an utter loss, feeling every nerve on fire from embarrassment, and dammit if that recalcitrant dick didn't twitch at Buck's self-compliment.

"Aw, come on, you can tell me." Buck looked up and Sam was fascinated to see Buck's sparkle coming out of her own eyes, knowing that Buck himself had put it there.

Well, it seemed that Buck not only didn't mind her test-driving his equipment, but was positively enthralled by the idea. It made it a hell of a lot easier, and meant she could lose some of the guilt. It didn't mean she was ready to... stroke and tell, though.

"Don't have any idea what you're talking about," Sam finally said, suppressing a grin but knowing Buck could spot it anyway.

"Fine, fine. Just remember, darlin. That body has animal magnetism, so when the ladies start cozyin' up to it, you'll have to learn to control yourself."

Sam couldn't help but chuckle at that, getting more in the spirit of things. "Same to you, buddy."

"Huh?" Buck said, obviously puzzled.

"When the men on this base start giving you those lusty looks, just remember to control yourself," she said pointedly.

Buck stopped in his tracks as realization dawned. Sam turned the corner, still chuckling at Buck's stupefied expression. She only got a few feet though, before it occurred to her that if Buck was so engrossed in the idea of her exploring his body, that he'd probably long started exploring hers. 

And dammit to hell, that undisciplined dick began to jump again at the thought. 

*****


	9. 9

*****  
"Now we've lost two of them," Jack said when Chris caught his eye across the table. Chris shrugged. It was Jack's idea to send Buck after Major Carter. Not his. He'd have sent JD, but no one asked him. It'd be good for Jack to get some hands-on experience dealing with Buck, especially if he was going to get in the habit of forgetting to get Chris' input.

"If we're going to make dinner, they'd better get here soon. It's not like Carter to be late."

Chris shrugged again. Still not his problem. He just wanted to get the damn meeting over with and go out to dinner. That steak house served a mean spread and they hardly ever went there. This wasn't going to be a good meeting and getting off the base and tossing back a few beers and eating huge steaks might lighten the mood a little, Chris thought.

"You thinking about grub?" Vin asked him.

Chris smiled at him. Even though Vin was in the wrong body, he still knew what Chris was thinking. 

Vin laughed a little, tilting his head and giving Chris that little knowing smile he had. "You want me to go look for them? Wouldn't want to be late filling your belly."

"And lose you too?" Jack asked from his end of the table. "Stay put. If they're not here in a few minutes, I'll send Teal'C."

Vin kept his eyes locked with Chris' trying to let him know he was okay, Chris knew. Funny Vin was the one reassuring him right now. 

"You seen this?" Vin asked, holding up a piece of paper he snagged from Buck's place, to his right.

Chris shook his head and Vin handed it over.

 

Care of Buck Wilmington's Body (Part Three - just a few things I forgot)

1\. I know I've said this already, but it needs repeating. No shaving the mustache! Be careful when shaving my face. Don't accidentally swipe that upper lip, you hear?

2\. No shaving the legs! I saw you scratching them. You'll get used to it though.

3\. Easy on the cheeks and jaws when shaving there. Use "The Art of Shaving"   
products that Doctor Jackson bought for me. It's made for sensitive skin like mine, and leaves the cheeks baby smooth after a shave.

4\. After shaving, moisturize with "The Art of Shaving AM/PM Moisturizer". My face feels real soft after that, and it stops the tingles.

5\. Every couple of days, use "The Art of Shaving Aftershave Mask" for a little extra soothing from razor burns.

6\. In the shower use "The Art of Shaving Facial Wash with Peppermint Oil."

7\. Avoid the cabbage in the cafeteria. It'll have you off and flying like one of them rocket launchers the Colonel showed us.

8\. No hot chocolate, either. Seems to me they put Castor Oil in it instead of chocolate.

9\. Cheese is okay, but go easy on it, darlin, or there won't be enough Castor Oil in the state to get me off that commode.

10\. When putting on the britches, everything fits better if you move it over to the left.

11\. If you have that thing in the cafeteria they call Beef Stroke Enough, you'll need to chew a couple of these things the Colonel gave me. They're called Tums, and they work real good. They're in that bathroom cabinet.

 

Chris read it through a second time. He couldn't help smiling. At least he'd been able to contain his laughter. He caught Vin's eye and shared a grin with him. Seemed like everyone but Vin wrote a book. Vin was true to his word and kept his list to two things: Not to cut his hair, and to stop eating so damn much.

Vin nodded and Chris looked to the door. About damn time those two showed up. Buck, in Major Carter's body, opened the door for the Major and gestured for her to enter first. Chris nearly started laughing again but this wasn't exactly the kind of meeting where laughter would be appreciated.

"Finally," Jack said as he stood, while Buck and Carter sat. "Let's get right to it. No progress in a week. It's time to call it."

They all knew it was coming so the reaction wasn't as bad as it could have been. Everyone looked somber, even JD and Ezra, though they'd been teasing the others as much as possible.

"The question now is what to do next." Jack looked around the room again before talking. "We're not giving up, but we have to take a new tact, and we've got a problem that needs to be solved. The four of you are off active duty for the time being. We can't take the chance of one of you being hurt or worse in the other's body. Agreed?"

Heads nodded around the room. Chris agreed, but he kept still and silent. He and Jack had already talked. Hell, a lot of the plans had been Chris' idea.

"So what are we gonna do?" Buck asked.

"Daniel and Major Carter have plenty of work on the base to keep them busy. Since SG1 is down two members, Larabee and Standish will join Teal'C and I on SG1 temporarily."

"Oh, I must protest," Ezra interrupted. "I believe this would be a perfect time to use the two weeks vacation time I am due! I've heard tell of a wonderful little oasis in Nevada called Las Vegas."

Chris shook his head. "Forget it, Ezra. Not going to happen." Ezra was joining SG1 with him and Jack and that's all there was to it. Chris' pointed glare squashed Ezra's second attempt to plead.

"What will the rest of us be doing?" JD asked.

"I'm glad you asked," Jack said with a straight face. "You're scheduled for a communication class starting Monday. Nathan, you're going to medic training, and Josiah, you're going to a tactical class."

Jack looked around the room and Chris did too. No comments, but plenty of winces and frowns. Well, that had gone better than he'd expected. They'd all known what was coming, though. No one was saying it, but it looked like they might be stuck in the wrong bodies for awhile. And while no one even dared mention it out loud, it might even be permanent. That was the only reason for the boys not to get into a lather about learning more of this modern warfare. Yup, a night out after this meeting would be a very good thing.

"Colonel?" Buck asked. "What are me and Vin gonna do? Maybe there's something we can do to help figure this thing out?"

If Chris was the hugging type, he'd make Vin switch seats with him and put an arm around Buck's shoulder about now. Instead, he smiled a little. Buck would like Jack's plans.

"Well," Jack said, a little grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "How do you feel about blowing things up?"

"Blowing things up?" Vin asked, perking up a little, as Chris had expected.

"Oh yeah," Jack said, getting a little excited himself. "The two of you are going over to the academy during the days for a munitions class."

"We gonna get to play with dynamite?" Buck asked, showing a little excitement too.

"Dynamite, C4, big guns. You're going to get qualified on all sorts of neat toys."

"That don't sound so bad," Buck said. "Do I get to be a major? Seeing how I'm Doctor Carter now and all."

"You may look like her, Buck, but you ain't even near as smart as her," Vin said, laughing at Buck some more.

"You watch it there, Junior, cause while you might look like Dr. Jackson, you ain't as smart as him, neither."

"That's enough," Chris said. "And no blowing things up you aren't supposed to in that class!"

"Aw, Chris," Buck said, faking a pout, "you're no fun."

"We done?" Chris asked Jack, feeling a headache named Wilmington coming on.

"You in a hurry?" Buck asked. "Hell, we're stuck in these bodies, maybe permanent and you're worried about steak."

"Being in that body a while longer won't kill you, but keeping the rest of us from a good meal might," Nathan interjected. Buck gave him a steady glare that was pretty funny coming from Major Carter's face. Chris just grinned at him then looked to Jack.

Jack nodded at him, then turned back to the others at the table. "All right then, let's get out of here."

They all scooted back at the same time, quiet conversation buzzing around the room.

Chris turned to Vin, struck as usual by the way Vin took on his usual posture even in Daniel's body. "Hungry?" Chris asked.

"I could eat the ass end of a buffalo."

"Please don't," Daniel called out from the doorway. Vin grinned at him, doing more to relieve Chris' tension than anything had thus far. As long as Vin could keep finding something to smile at, Chris knew it wasn't all that bad for him and he wouldn't have to worry on him so much.

"Daniel," Jack called out before he could get too far. "Take Teal'C with you, will ya? We don't have and ID for you yet. I don't want this mess to end up with you in county lockup."

Daniel rolled his eyes and moved on.

"Vin and I riding with you?" Chris asked.

"You betcha. JD, you're with us. Nathan, Josiah, you go with Daniel. Carter? Don't tell me you're planning to take your bike?"

"My coordination is fine, sir. I checked with Janet," she said. "Buck's riding with me, and he'll have my ID. Just in case," she added.

Chris had to stifle a laugh at the unconsciously feminine sway on Buck's hips as Carter followed the others out of the room. Chris glanced at Jack in time to see him shudder.

"I will never get used to that," Jack said, seeing that he was caught.

"Let's hope we don't have to," Chris replied, then looked over at Vin. The smile was still there, but it wasn't near as genuine. "Come on, pard. Food now, pout later."

"I don't pout, Larabee, and you know it," Vin said, eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Pull that bottom lip in a little bit and try again," Chris replied, holding in a laugh and quirking an eyebrow at Vin's fuming expression.

"How 'bout I pop your lip back behind them flapping jaws of yours." Vin didn't wait for a reply before he headed for the door. Yes, that was the Vin he knew and loved. If Vin didn't have something to smile at, Chris could settle for him having something to be ornery about, since most times that usually led to Vin smiling again anyway.

As he and Jack followed, Chris noticed the curious expression on Jack's face. He also saw just the second when Jack figured out the appeal of testing Vin's moods, since that was when Jack's cheeks blossomed red and he gave Chris a double-take. 

Hell, let him wonder, Chris decided, keeping step and masking his own expressions so as not to give away anything. If Jack wanted to know something, he would have to ask. Chris knew that Jack never would, though, and that it'd be driving him crazy. Chris got his small pleasures where he could these days, he thought, dropping his eyes covertly to catch a glimpse of Vin's ass. Well, technically it was Daniel's, but the swagger was all Vin, and that was enough.

*****


	10. 10

*****  
Buck was a bad influence on Major Carter, Chris decided as he watched Jack check his watch again. He raised his mug in mock toast and took a sip of his beer. Took a little getting used to, cold beer, but he'd finally gotten a taste for it. 

"You want to try?" Jack asked him, motioning toward Vin, Daniel, Ezra and JD at the billiards table.

"I've played before," Chris said. "Happy right where I am."

"All right," Jack said, shrugging as he stood to leave. "I'll let them know to seat us when they have a table."

Good because Chris didn't feel like waiting much longer for the missing duo. They hardly ever all went out to eat like this... it wasn't often they left the base at all. Living in their compound up on the mountain was better than living underground, but the restriction bothered Chris-- a lot.

A few minutes later Buck and the Major walked in, motorcycle helmets in hand and both of them dressed up. Carter joined the others at the pool table and Buck joined Chris.

"Hey, good looking," Buck teased. "This a private party?"

"Have a seat, Buck," Chris said, motioning to Jack's place.

"Been here long?" Buck asked once he was settled and the waitress took his order.

Chris peered at him. Buck knew damn right well the rest of them left right after the meeting. He took a closer look at Buck and nearly spilled his beer. "What the hell are you wearing?"

"What?" Buck asked. 

"On your face."

"Oh that. Doctor Carter helped me. Looks nice, don't it?"

"Buck," Chris said, "you're wearing face paint."

"I can't go around looking like an unmade bed in her body, Chris. That wouldn't be right."

Chris wasn't about to touch that one. Buck took his mug and knocked back about half of the ale in it. Chris shook his head, knowing a belch was coming any second. Right on cue, Buck fisted his belly and let it out, but thankfully muted it at least a little. Leave it to Buck to doll himself up then reach down to scratch balls that weren't there anymore, and such nonsense.

After finishing most of his own glass, he turned from watching the billiards to Buck again. "What took you two so long to get here?"

"Well, I had to get ready didn't I? And then Doctor Carter tried to teach me how to drive her motorcycle. I don't know how Vin and JD do it, pard. It ain't nothing like a horse like they say it is."

"Why are you calling her Doctor?" Chris asked, suddenly curious.

"Because I ain't calling a woman I'm interested in Major. Since she's a Doctor too, I get to choose."

"You asked her what she preferred?"

Buck gave him a hard look and Chris returned it. He'd been giving Buck a lot of leeway lately, what with all the changes, but enough was enough. 

"Of course I asked her. She don't have a problem with it."

Chris grinned. Of course, Buck meant that Carter didn't have a problem with Doctor versus Major. He didn't think she had a clue just yet that Buck's flirtations with her were a hell of a lot more serious than his flirtations with any of the other women on that base. 

Chris spotted their waitress and ordered more beers for him and Buck. They watched the others play pool silently as they drank their beers, Chris done with the questions for now. 

"You dipped your pen in that inkwell yet?" Buck asked out of the blue, pointing at Vin leaning over the pool table.

Chris turned a cold look on him. "We aren't having that conversation. Not here, not now, not ever."

Of course Buck laughed at him. Normal Buck reaction.

"Hell, pard, you got the best of everything. Live it up a little," Buck said around his laughter. "You get a little variety and you can't be accused of stepping out. Man likes a little variety now and then, don't he?"

"Buck," Chris warned.

Buck threw his hands in the air, still laughing. "You wouldn't hit a lady, now would you, Chris?"

"You ain't a lady."

Buck crossed his hand over his heart, giving him the 'I'm wounded' gesture. "No call to insult Doctor Carter like that pard. She's a fine lady and since I'm her now, I guess I am one too."

"You aren't her, Buck."

"Don't be changing the conversation on me now, Chris."

Chris sighed hard. "I told you we aren't having that discussion."

"Hell, Chris, the times are a changing. No one cares you and Vin got a personal relationship. I known about it for years now anyways."

"Oh have you?" Chris asked, quirking an eyebrow at Buck.

"I knew the week I met him that you two were gettin up close an personal. Kind of shocked me at first, you walkin the other side of the fence like that, but you know me, I'm an expert in those things. You could have talked to me about it, you know."

Chris squeezed the bridge of his nose. Damn, he needed food. "You're drunk, Buck."

"I ain't had but four beers."

Chris craned his neck to look at him. "In that body, four beers makes you drunk."

"Drunk or not, I know what I know. Man ought to be able to talk to his friends about the important stuff, pard."

"You got it all figured out on your own?"

Buck twisted in the stool, legs spread wide. Chris nudged his leg-- hard-- and Buck closed his thighs again, without missing a beat, and continued to run at the mouth. 

"Sure do. I understand that no woman would ever measure up to Sarah. Man like Vin ain't dependent on you like a woman would be neither. Though it's not like that anymore. Wish my ma was born in this time, Chris. Even if she'd been left on her own out west with two sprouts, she wouldn't have had to make a living the way she did. Women got a lot more choices nowadays."

Chris had never known Buck to be a maudlin drunk and he didn't think he liked it. Probably had something to do with being in that body. When the hell were they going to get a table?

"Anyways, Chris. You and Vin don't have to hide no more."

"Ain't hiding, Buck. Never was. People see what they want to see, including you. Most people don't see anything. You jump to wrong conclusions. Either way, people should mind their own damned business."

Buck cupped his head in his palm, elbow on the bar and a hurt expression on his face. "I ain't people, I'm family. Wrong conclusions!" Buck snorted around his beer mug. "You two spent all your time together-- long weeks on the trail just the two of you, you actually listen to him and the only times you ever fought was when a woman got between you. Ain't no other conclusions."

Chris drank his own beer and ignored the look Buck gave him. That stupid eyebrow waggle just looked plain ridiculous on Major Carter's face. 

The waitress caught Chris' eye and held up a stack of menus. Relief flooded through him and Chris stood, nodding at the waitress. Finally, a table for eleven was available. Chris wanted to sink his teeth into a steak so bad, his mouth was practically watering.

A hand on his arm had him pausing, though. He was right about one thing; he was giving BUck a little more leeway since he was a woman. He didn't shake off Buck's hand, just waited for whatever he was going to say, head turned away from him.

"Chris," Buck said, voice low. "All I ever wanted was for you to find a little peace. To be a man could smile again. I don't care where you found it, just that you did."

Chris did look at Buck then and he'd be damned if that wasn't a little moisture making Buck's eyes shine like that. 

"You might be onta something, Chris. I think this body is putting all sorts of strange thoughts in my head. Doctor Fraiser warned me about hormone things. Maybe I shoulda paid more attention."

"Come on," Chris said, helping Buck to his feet. "Let's get some food to soak up some of that beer."

Chris led Buck away, following the waitress and the others to their table. He couldn't get that steak too soon.

*****


	11. 11

*****

The lights were low and Chris had uncorked a bottle of Merlot before stripping down to just those boxer briefs he'd come to like. It still puzzled him some, that Vin had discovered a liking for wine rather than whiskey, being in Daniel's body, but if that's what Vin's taste buds liked these days, then Merlot it was. Now all he needed was for Vin to come out of the damn shower already. He'd been in there for the better part of an hour, ever since Chris had first begun to hint that he wanted to get skin to skin.

It wasn't like Vin at all to shy away from contact, and though Chris didn't blame him for feeling awkward about that kind of contact while in Daniel's body, he also knew that neither one of them could last much longer without the lack of closeness getting to them. It'd been a little funny to see Vin blushed red when Chris slapped him on the ass earlier, but it wasn't so funny to see the expression of sheer panic in his eyes when Chris had turned the slap into a caress. It was time to do something about that virginal schoolmarm attitude Vin had taken on.

At last, Chris heard the door to the bathroom open, and a second later Vin emerged. Irritation clashed with amusement and came out a stifled snort.

"Bit of a chill in here, is all," Vin said from underneath two layers of sweat pants and sweat shirts. His defensive tone brought a smile to Chris' lips despite his loss of patience.

"Vin, that's sweat on your forehead, not water from the shower. This is getting silly, pard," Chris said.

Vin sighed, but nodded. He sat in the cushy chair next to the bed, and pulled off the top layers of sweats. Of course, in the process it gave Chris a tasty view of muscular belly, the bottom layers tugging a bit with the top ones. Vin was real quick about getting himself covered, though.

Once Vin had the sweats folded, his eyes fell on the bottle of wine on their small table, the two glasses next to it. Chris watched as he slowly inched over there. When he looked up, suspicion lit his eyes, and again Chris grinned.

"You plannin' to get me liquored up so you can have yer way with me?"

"It crossed my mind," Chris answered honestly as he joined him at the table and then poured the wine. He was pleased with the sly glances Vin sent his way. No matter whether he was looking through his own eyes or Daniel's, Vin's appreciation for Chris' lean form hadn't seemed to go anywhere, and for that Chris was grateful. He'd hate to find out Vin's taste in men changed as easily as his taste for whiskey versus Merlot.

Chris picked up his glass, sippped a little of the rich, strong wine. It was encouraging that Vin didn't completely refuse his own glass. He sipped lighter than Chris did, though. Vin wanted this, Chris knew. He was just fighting his guilt at putting someone else's body through the experience. If Chris could be sure this was temporary, he could fight it, too. But it'd been too damn long, and even though Chris wasn't ready to give up hope, he also wasn't about to give up Vin in the meantime. To hell with whose body he was in, Chris wanted. Tonight. Now.

Chris gulped down the rest of what was in his glass, conceding that Daniel did actually have good taste. He nodded to Vin, who looked at him through narrowed eyes but downed the rest of his glass anyway.

"Don't feel right, Chris," Vin said as he put down the empty glass and looked away.

"Do you want it to?" Chris asked.

Vin looked up then, and Chris knew the answer. "Yeah, I do," Vin answered softly anyway.

"So why don't we just take it a step at a time, hmm?" Chris wrapped a hand around Vin's neck, and drew him close. Vin came willingly, more to seek comfort than anything else, it seemed to Chris. But it was a start.

They let go after a quiet moment, and Chris coaxed Vin to the bed, stopping to hit the switch on the way to further lower the lights. Chris pulled back the blankets, gestured for Vin to crawl in, then climbed in after him. Vin immediately curled himself around Chris' bare chest, but definitely more for the snuggle than anything else. 

Chris could be damned selfish, he knew, but as horny as he was, he couldn't deny that just having Vin close was good enough for now. They both needed this, and Chris could hold on for more until Vin was ready.

About an hour of gently combing his fingers through Vin's hair, and Chris was definitely ready.

"At least lose the sweatshirt, Vin. It's warm enough in here."

Vin chuckled softly, giving Chris a glimmer of hope. He sat up then, and peeled the shirt off, tossing it in the direction of the chair before he sank back down under the blankets.

It was Chris' turn to chuckle then. "Vin, I don't get it. I've seen Daniel in the showers. You're not hiding anything I haven't seen."

Vin blushed a little. "That's different. You weren't looking too close and you weren't aiming to get your hands on his ass in the showers. Were ya?" Vin added, eyes narrowing again.

"No, I wasn't. But it doesn't change that I already know what he's got, and you're still hiding it under those blankets."

Vin let out a muted humph and rolled onto his side, his back to Chris. Nope, that wasn't going to work. Definitely the wrong direction. Chris rolled his eyes, trying to think of something, and fast. 

After a moment, he took a long breath, and tugged on Vin's shoulder until he willingly turned to face him.

"Listen up, Tanner, 'cause no force on this earth can make me say this twice."

Vin nodded, his face showing open curiosity.

Chris felt his face flushing a little, figured it was his turn anyway. But apparently this needed saying, so he was going to say it. "Don't matter to me whose body it is. That's just the wrapper. What I'm after is inside that body. You, you bullheaded bastard."

A slow smile crept onto Vin's mouth as he inched closer. "Well... since you went to the trouble to get so sentimental and all," he whispered.

Chris again combed his fingers through Vin's hair, used to having more of it, but grateful to know Vin was in there somewhere feeling him anyway. He gently tugged Vin's head toward him as he leaned closer, mouths finally meeting.

Soft at first, Chris tilted his head and slipped his tongue past Vin's lips, dick jumping as he noticed the difference between kissing Vin now versus when he was in his own body. Smaller mouth, but a more generous bottom lip, kissing Vin now felt more pillowy. Vin's tongue was as active and eager as always, though the taste of wine on it was new. He'd told Vin the truth about the wrapper not being important, but he couldn't help it that he was enjoying this particular wrapper at the moment. He also couldn't help himself when he took that full bottom lip between both of his own, sucking on it lightly and painting it with the tip of his tongue.

Vin shuddered against him, and Chris swept a hand over his muscular chest, the expanse of it even more smooth than Vin's own. The nipples seemed to be even more sensitive than Vin's, too, Chris noticed as Vin gasped sharply when Chris lightly tweaked one, then the other. His fingers trailed down Vin's belly as he went back to plunging his tongue into Vin's mouth. His stomach was definitely more muscular than Chris was used to, but just as tight and hard.

He was about to slip his fingertips under the waistband of Vin's sweats when Vin's hand clasped over his wrist. 

"You want this, Vin," Chris whispered into Vin's ear after pulling away from his mouth. "Doesn't have to be more than this."

"Can't do any more, though," Vin said, voice low and tight. "Ain't fair to do intimate things in this body that Daniel ain't already done."

Chris answered softly, "Okay then," but didn't want to put any thought into what intimacies Daniel had experienced before, so he just resumed his slow foray under the waistband, and Vin gradually eased his grip, then let go and instead grasped Chris' bicep, just enough to hold onto him as Chris finally got his hand around Vin's dick.

Whoa.

That Vin was hard wasn't a surprise. That he was sporting such a big damned dick, and one without foreskin... now that was a surprise. Chris hadn't taken Daniel for Jewish. The novelty of it-- the large, circumcised dick-- was titillating, Chris couldn't deny, but it was the idea that he could still bring Vin himself pleasure that had his own dick hard as nails.

Vin let go of his arm, and for a second he thought Vin was going to make him stop stroking him again, but instead, he put his hand on Chris', begging quietly, "tighter, Chris. Tighter."

Chris obliged, squeezed harder, and stroked Vin slow and steady. Vin's hips didn't begin thrusting up into his hand, which was usually the signal to speed up. So Chris kept up the same pace, licking along Vin's neck now and then but mostly watching the expressions of concentration and bliss on his face.

Without warning, Vin cried out, and Chris watched, fascinated, as thick spurts of semen landed on Vin's belly, though his view of Vin's dick was hidden by the dark folds of the blanket.

Vin panted for a long moment, then turned his head, seeking out Chris' mouth. Hot, wet and breathy, this kiss felt more familiar to Chris, and he delved into it all the more for that fact. Vin was quick to reach down for Chris' cock, and he didn't do a damn thing to stop him or slow him. He needed this.

It was a bigger hand than he was used to that gripped him, but it felt just like Vin otherwise, the way he changed his pace, swirled a fingertip now and then over the moist head, and lightly pulled a bit of the foreskin up to play with a little before he finally worked him with fast, even strokes. His climax came upon him quicker than he'd have liked, but damn it was too damned good to hold back. Chris wasn't one to get vocal when he came, but his usually quiet groan was drawn out this time, the anticipation having made it all the more intense.

When Chris' vision cleared and he came out of the haze, he found Vin's body plastered mostly on top of his. After a moment, he realized he couldn't just lie there and bask because he couldn't breathe.

"Vin? Pard? This don't work as easy as it used to. Daniel's body is a damned sight heavier than yours."

Vin chuckled a little but rolled onto his back. Chris rolled with him, figuring it was his turn to use Vin as a pillow. 

Vin broke the quiet a short spell later. "Chris?"

"Yep."

"It really don't matter what body I'm in?"

"Nope."

"What if I was in Teal'c's body?"

Chris raised his head and looked Vin in the eye. What the hell was this about? "Still wouldn't matter," Chris answered anyway.

"What about Jack's?"

Chris gave him a narrow look. "Wouldn't matter Vin, I've told you."

Vin grinned just a little bit, looking a tad unsure, and yet amused somehow. "What about General Hammond's?"

Chris winced, but grinned too. "Still wouldn't matter, but I'd want the lights off a bit more."

Vin laughed at that and tugged on Chris' head until he'd taken up his previous place snug up against him. Damn, but Vin thought of the oddest things. Chris just hoped he didn't have nightmares that involved seeing the General naked.

*****


	12. 12

*****

"You look like shit, Daniel," Jack said as he deposited his tray onto his and Daniel's usual table. Daniel had been sleeping at the base lately, instead of the house they shared, and Jack hadn't seen him since dinner a few nights before.

"What?" Daniel snapped out of whatever world he was currently in and fixed Jack with a baleful look. "I'm not sleeping too well."

"You see the doc?"

"Not yet. It's just... well... I'm having strange dreams. I can't remember the dreams themselves, only the feelings they bring up."

"Oh," Jack said as he dug into his huevos rancheros. 

They could leave it there, Jack knew. Daniel wouldn't offer to share the feelings unless he thought Jack was interested. He was interested, but not here and not now. If Daniel still wasn't sleeping well in a few days, he'd get to the bottom of things.

Jack polished off his beans and had a forkful of salsa covered egg halfway to his mouth when the look on Daniel's face stopped him mid-bite. Jack followed Daniel's-- well, it couldn't be called anything but a glare. Daniel didn't glare, but there he was doing it. He followed the glare to the other side of the room to where Tanner and Larabee had just come in the door.

"Problem?" Jack asked him, casual as he could.

"He's ruining my body, Jack," Daniel ground out. The despair that crossed Daniel's features then reminded Jack of things he'd rather not remember. Daniel on the edge of a balcony and later on the edge of death... the same despair he'd seen then. Seeing that expression now blindsided him and it unnerved him every bit as much as it had that time.

"Whoa-- Daniel, easy. He looks good. It doesn't look like that's going to be a problem anyway, since you're probably not getting it back."

"I knew you wouldn't understand," Daniel growled out. 

For a second, Daniel sounded exactly like Tanner and that threw Jack for a loop. He took a closer look-- this was serious. "You want to do this here or somewhere more private?" Jack asked softly.

Daniel played with his food for a few minutes and Jack let the time stretch out. Daniel was usually quick to share-- unless it was personal, and this was just that.

"He's losing weight." Daniel said then and met Jack's eyes again, searching for something from Jack. Just what he was searching for, Jack had no clue.

"He's a lot smaller than you, he's probably not used to feeding a bigger body yet. The way he's always eating, it's a wonder that body you're in doesn't weigh two hundred pounds."

"He doesn't eat that much, Jack. He never eats a lot all at once. He grazes... it fits the culture he comes from."

"Oh... well, I guess I don't pay enough attention to his eating habits," mostly facetious, but he wondered if he actually should be watching stuff like that more closely.

The silence stretched out again and Jack went back to his food. This was bothering Daniel more than Jack thought it should, but he didn't know what to do about it.

"Do you know how long it took me to get my body the way it is now?" Daniel asked suddenly.

Jack gave it some thought... "Five years?" he finally asked.

Daniel snorted and gave a short, barking laugh. "Five years? No. Try twenty. You wouldn't understand."

"Try me, Daniel," Jack said.

"You can't understand, Jack," Daniel said again.

Jack gave it some thought and understanding did come, once he really thought about it. 

"You get picked on a lot? When you were younger, I mean?" Jack asked softly.

Daniel's head shot up and he met Jack's eyes again, surprise easy to see.

"I'm not stupid, Daniel." Jack said, voice low and quiet. It was an unfair thing to say, Jack supposed. Daniel was one of a select few who saw a side of Jack most others didn't. 

"You used to do it too, Jack."

"I didn't know you then, all right?" Jack threw his arms in the air. 

"Geek, nerd, four-eyes, pansy, fag, I got called them all. And not all that long ago. Sometimes right here on this base."

Jack winced. "You should have said something."

"You agreed with them back then."

Jack's eyes widened. "No I didn't!"

"That doesn't matter, Jack. I knew you'd be sorry you asked."

Jack blew out a frustrated breath. "No I'm not, Daniel!"

"Fine. Fine," Daniel muttered and stood to clear his tray and clear out. "I'm sorry. I'm not sleeping well and I'm waking up more tired than I was when I went to bed. I'll get over it."

Jack dropped his fork to his plate and followed Daniel, leaving his tray where it was. Someone else could deal with that mess; he had a more important one to see to.

Once in the hall, Jack caught Daniel by the elbow. "Come on, big fella. Time for a private chat."

When Daniel didn't object-- didn't offer so much as a word-- Jack knew he was doing the right thing. Maybe Daniel himself hadn't realized it, but he'd been looking for some kind of reassurance. Jack was just glad that he could do that honestly, without having to blow smoke up Daniel's ass.

Jack steered him into his office and closed the door behind them, watching as Daniel plopped into the chair in front of his desk. Jack perched on the corner of it, looking down at Daniel's bowed head.

"Hey," Jack said. Daniel looked up at him, and Jack felt a stab of sympathy pains for all Daniel had gone through; all of it that was there to see in the sadness in Daniel's eyes. It wasn't Jack's strong suit, but he'd do what he could to ease some of that. "Why do you think it is that nobody around here has called you a geek in a good, long time?"

Daniel shrugged. "Because I finally got myself looking like someone who could take care of himself and someone who doesn't spend eighteen hours a day with his nose in a book."

"Wrong."

"What?"

Jack grinned. Wasn't often Daniel was reduced to such limited speech. "It doesn't have anything to do with the muscle bulk you've added over the years."

"Jack, that probably has a hell of a lot to do with it, and you know it."

"Like I said, you're wrong. Daniel, have you ever taken a good, long look at Larabee's body?" Daniel's eyes widened, and Jack blushed fiercely. "Not that I have... not in that way... dammit!"

Daniel gave him a small grin. "I know what you mean, yeah."

"Yeah, okay then. My point is that he has to be one of the skinniest damn men on this base. And yet you see how the personnel here, military included, part like the Red Sea when he walks down the hall. You see where I'm going with this, right?" Jack said, leaning a little closer and arching his eyebrows for effect.

Daniel studied his face for a second, still looking unsure, but apparently willing to listen. "Maybe. But it's not the same thing."

"It's exactly the same thing. The man exudes confidence. You started doing the same thing, once you started getting more comfortable in BDU's and added a little more muscle. But it wasn't the muscle itself. It was the confidence it gave you."

Daniel sighed and sat back in the chair, staring up at the ceiling. "Vin's a pretty confident guy, and yet the personnel don't part when he walks down the halls. And we've heard the flattering names that some of the guys call him, haven't we," Daniel said quietly, reminding Jack of some of the unsavory things they'd overheard a few of the guys saying about Vin and even Chris.

"That's different, and you know it. Small minds and the military atmosphere aren't the best combinations for tolerance when it comes to certain... things about other guys. They weren't exactly overt when they mouthed off, though."

Daniel looked at him again, and Jack hoped that maybe he was seeing sense. "But they did sometimes say it to Vin himself, Jack. You told me yourself that Vin had to come to you to find out what the word faggot meant."

Jack winced. He'd hadn't forgotten about that. Then again... "It didn't last long though, did it. Once the men got a feel for what Tanner could do in the field, they let up. Vin is confident, but he doesn't wear it on his sleeve the way Larabee does. They needed to see his confidence in action before they backed down. That's why they let up on you, too."

Daniel's eyebrows furrowed as he thought over Jack's words. 

Jack's heart skipped a beat as a sudden thought flashed in his head. "Oh, crap! Daniel, are the men on the base saying those things to you now?"

Daniel sat up quickly hands waving him off. "Oh, no, no, no... Sorry. I didn't mean too worry you. No, I'm not getting hassled now at all."

With relief, came Jack's closing argument. "So, there you go."

"Huh?"

Jack grinned. Incoherency twice in the same conversation. "You couldn't have found a scrawnier body to get stuck in during this, and nobody has picked on you once, have they?"

Daniel smiled back at him. "No, they haven't."

"That tells me that when you two switched bodies, you took your mojo with you. I think maybe you just forgot you had it."

Daniel laughed a little. "Maybe."

"Daniel. You've had a lot on your mind during all this, and I know how hard it is to live in someone else's skin. But it doesn't matter if you and Tanner don't get your bodies switched back. Okay, yeah it matters, but you're both going to be just fine if you don't."

"I know that. At least I think I do. Sometimes, it's just..."

"Hard?" 

"Yeah, hard." 

"Yeah," Jack said. "But if it'll make you feel any better in the meantime, I'll have a quiet little talk with Vin--"

"You don't have to do that," Daniel said quickly, and if Jack knew him, he was feeling a bit embarrassed about the whole thing.

"Hey, I can be subtle," Jack assured, ignoring Daniel's distinctly raised eyebrow. "And I don't mind talking to him. But you had to know now that even if he doesn't get some of your bulk back, it wasn't what mattered anyway."

Daniel stood, looking much better than when he came in, and Jack couldn't help but feel proud. "Thanks, Jack."

"Any time," Jack said, knowing full well he was wearing his 'I'm so good' expression. "Where are you headed off to?" he asked as Daniel opened the door.

"I think I'm going to head to the gym for a little while."

"I'll catch you later, then," Jack said, biting his lip to keep from advising Daniel to go for a run instead. He had the feeling Vin wasn't any happier about Daniel adding mounds of muscle to that body than Daniel was about Vin losing mounds of muscle on his.

Daniel gave him another quick smile before he headed off. Jack watched for a moment, and damned if Daniel in Vin's body didn't seem to be walking just a little taller, now. Jack closed his door, and gave himself a satisfied pat on the shoulder. "I am so good."

Just then, his stomach growled, and he jumped for the door. Maybe the mess from his breakfast was still there?

*****


	13. 13

*****

Never was a secret that Vin didn't relate well to most women. He never had much problem with Buck, though, so this situation was damned perplexing, seeing as Buck was acting so much like a woman-- even more than his occasional petticoat behavior before this body switching nonsense. It was bad enough to see the man agonize over the right shade of that stuff to paint on his lips, but things were getting out of hand lately.

Maybe he wasn't being completely fair, he thought. Wasn't Buck's fault that Vin'd had a couple of vague, disturbing dreams about women lately. Wasn't Buck's fault that Vin'd had one such dream the night before, and woken to a hard-on. That was just the damndest thing, Vin thought. At least the hard-on had gone away right quick once Vin woke up enough to realize what had brought it on.

Being fair didn't make it any easier to deal with a Buck who'd taken to discussing women's underclothes these days, though. Last thing Vin wanted to hear about was that sports brassiere thing Buck had been raving about and how it supported his... breasts... so well without that wire thing poking him. Vin'd hoped like hell that the moving picture thing they were watching would distract the man for a while.

But Vin thought he was going to choke on his popcorn when he looked over and saw Buck bawling his eyes out during that movie. Hell, Vin'd snorted through most of it. It was amusing to him how the world he knew was just as misrepresented in these moving pictures as it'd been in the dime novels of his day. But Buck? When that ugly guy on the screen was getting beat, Buck had tears streaming down his face as he whispered softly, "poor Tuco!" 

Vin watched Buck's water works with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, realizing the man was taking this movie thing way too serious, and that his plan was a wretched failure.

When Buck slipped out of his chair in the Saloon and crept out, Vin swallowed his discomfort at the woman stuff and followed him out into the hall.

"You all right?"

"Sure, I am," Buck sniffled. "Don't know why that's gettin' to me so much. JD and me have watched this one before. JD likes all them movies with that Clint Eastwood fella."

"All right then," Vin said, shuffling his feet a little. What the hell did he do now?

"I think I need to go get some of them headache pills," Buck said then, looking as awkward as Vin felt.

Vin nodded and watched as Buck turned to head to his room on the base. Buck stopped at the corner though, and clutched his stomach. Vin took a few long strides to get to him, put a hand on his shoulder and leaned in.

"What's wrong?"

"Got some pains down low in my belly. It'll pass," he said, looking up and giving Vin what was probably supposed to be a reassuring grin. But on Sam's face, he couldn't pull it off.

"If you got pains, you should see the doc," Vin said softly, getting more concerned now.

"Had a few of these twinges this mornin', and they went away soon. Probably just something I ate."

Vin had a bad feeling about this. "Ain't right to ignore pains while you're in someone else's body, Buck."

Buck glanced back up at him, and from the twist on his face, he was getting another one of them pains. "Gimme a minute, and I'll head down there, all right? Just to be safe."

"You're doing the right thing, Buck," Vin assured, giving his shoulder another awkward rub.

To Vin's extreme vexation, those eyes filled up with tears again. Was it that the pain was so bad it was making him do that, or was he still worked about about that silly movie? It wasn't the female behavior that got Vin knotted up inside; Major Carter acting like a woman didn't make Vin cringe, after all. It was that keyed-up female behavior, and all that crying hogwash that he couldn't handle.

"I know it's the right thing," Buck finally answered, sniffing himself into a measure of composure again. "Don't want nothing happening to Doctor Carter's body."

Hell, Vin wanted to be anywhere but here, but he wouldn't slip off on his friend now. Much as Vin felt like a fish out of water, if something was really wrong with Major Carter's body, he needed to be there for Buck's sake as much as Major Carter's.

"Come on, let's get you down there now."

"I know where the damn infirmary is, Vin," Buck snapped, giving him a hard glare. Well, it woulda been hard, if not for all tears leaking out of them eyes and the blotchy, red nose that had a shiny bit of snot gathered at the nostrils.

"I'm going with you anyways, so stop your whining and let's just go," Vin said. "And if'n you don't have a hanky, at least wipe that nose on yer sleeve."

Buck straightened and crossed his arms over his belly after a quick swipe at his nose, then followed along as Vin led him away.

Only took a minute to get down there, and Doctor Fraiser came to them right away. "What do we have here?"

About at his wit's end, Vin shrugged and just launched into how he saw it. "He got to bawling over some movie, then started having pains in his belly."

Buck blushed a little, but nodded his head. "That's about the size of it, Doc. Started getting these pains this morning, and for the last day or so, I been getting kinda... I don't know... sentimental over the strangest things."

Fraiser looked from Buck, to Vin, to Buck again, eyes wide. After just a second, Vin realized that she was trying real hard not to laugh.

"It's nothing to be concerned about," she said. "It's just that Buck is having a hard time dealing with the hormonal changes in a female body."

"How do you know that? You ain't even looked at him yet," Vin said, relieved and yet a little skeptical.

Doctor Fraiser smiled warmly at them both. "I think I should probably have this conversation with Buck in private, since this is a matter of doctor/patient confidentiality. Buck, if you want to explain any of this to Vin when we're done, that's your choice. But believe me, Vin. I know what this is."

Buck shrugged and followed the Doc to an empty bed in the main area of the infirmary. Vin watched, curious, as Buck nodded at what she was telling him. Vin had to squint to see it, but Buck blushed really hard then, and an expression of realization crossed his face. After about five minutes of this, Buck got up and headed for the door. 

Vin followed, surprised as hell that Buck hadn't stopped to tell him anything. "So? What's this hormone thing the Doc said you got going on?"

Buck turned a haughty glance at him. "Some things a lady just needs to keep to herself," he said, then turned and made for the elevator.

Vin watched him go, and just shook his head. Women.

But hell, if the Doc was sure it wasn't a matter of life and death, Vin was happy enough to accept that and be grateful he didn't have to deal with it any more. He just hoped that this hormone thing was a passing thing and that whatever the Doc told Buck would put an end to Buck's drama. Vin didn't want to think about having to put up with a sobbing, hormone-ridden Buck ever again.

If it did happen again, Vin had already made up his mind he was sending Chris to deal with it, whether he liked it or not. Having been married and all, Chris had to know how to handle them women's hormones and stuff a hell of a lot better than Vin ever would. If Chris wasn't off on a mission, he'd hand Buck over to him right now, but Vin was the only one there. He'd check in with Buck later, just in case.

*****


	14. 14

*****

"Good call," Jack said, pointing at Ezra.

Chris looked up from his plate and studied Jack for a minute. The noise from the banquet hall was deafening, what with the party in full swing, but he was sure he heard right. Wouldn't do to cause a diplomatic incident in the middle of a party for diplomats so he only shrugged in response.

"Standish," Jack said, eyebrow lifting a little.

"I know my men," Chris said as he went back to moving things around on his plate. Food wasn't supposed to look like that. 

"You haven't said much on this mission," Jack said as he picked at his food too.

"I'm not a diplomat."

"Really?" Jack said with a quick grin. "Standish did a good job. Fit right in with the rest of them," Jack said, motioning toward the party in full swing.

"Ezra fits in anywhere. It's why he was so good at running scams."

Jack didn't answer, but Chris hadn't expected him to. They both went back to playing with their food.

"O'Neill," Teal'C said from behind them and Chris turned to look at him. "I believe the ambassador is trying to gain your attention."

"Duty calls," Jack said with a sigh as he dropped his napkin onto the table.

Chris didn't watch him go. The mission was supposed to be a routine visit to a new planet to look for technology. Instead it had turned into one round of parties after another. Chris thought he preferred hostile natives, after this. Jack was about as much of a diplomat as Chris was, which was why Ezra had done all of the negotiating and socializing.

Chris didn't like this part of the job. He hadn't had to do it until he went on temporary assignment with SG1. He wanted back onto his own team. He'd rather pull guard duty than diplomatic duty. At least he'd be bored on his own terms, then. 

Jack returned long after the plates had been collected and Chris had fended off countless attempts at conversation. Yup, give him possible hostiles over friendlies any damn day. 

"We can leave tomorrow," Jack said as he took his seat. 

"Good."

They sipped their drinks in silence, Chris watching as Ezra made circuits of the room, socializing with anyone who managed to grab his attention. 

"How is Tanner sleeping?" Jack asked him, breaking the long silence.

"There a reason you're asking that?"

"Daniel's not sleeping well. It's been going on for a couple of weeks now. He's had some head scans but the results weren't back when we left."

"You think it has something to do with being in Vin's body?"

"You haven't answered my question."

"He's sleeping fine." Chris didn't share that Vin had been having strange dreams. Not yet anyway. "Daniel say why he can't sleep?"

"He can sleep but he's having nightmares. Carter's having strange dreams too. MacKenzie wants to see Tanner and Wilmington."

"No."

"If they're having problems, they will see him, Chris. MacKenzie is the best there is when it comes to brain injury."

Chris went back to watching the crowd. Ezra caught his eye and gave him a slight wave. It was one Chris knew well. "Ezra has information he wants to share," Chris said softly. 

"You or me?" Jack asked.

"I'll go."

Chris left Jack and his questions behind at the long table and took his time making his way to Ezra. If it was something anyone could have overheard, Ezra would have come to them.

"You have a minute?" Chris asked when Ezra finished his latest round of conversation making. 

"Ah, Chris. I'm happy to see you are capable of still rising from your seat since you have been sitting in it for five hours now."

Chris ignored the dig. Ezra thought verbal sparring was a legitimate sport. "What's going on, Ezra?"

"We've been issued an invitation to a private reception."

Chris looked around the room to see if anyone was watching their conversation. Ezra would continue without prompting, he knew from experience.

"After this reception is over, the minister of culture has invited us to a party."

"I thought you had something important to tell me."

"I do believe this could be important. His brother is the minister of defense."

"And?"

"And he included that tidbit in the invitation."

"What do you think?"

"I think we have nothing to lose by attending and everything to gain if these people are hiding something or have other plans for our alliance. If he's inviting us only to gain prestige among his friends, all we've lost is a night's sleep."

"Good work, Ezra."

Ezra tipped his head as Chris left his side. When Chris looked back, Ezra was already surrounded by admirers. 

Of course Ezra was the perfect man for this mission. As soon as Jack told Chris he and one other of his men would be temporarily assigned to SG1, he knew Ezra was the man for the job. Jack wanted Josiah. But Jack had listened to him. He shouldn't have acted so surprised when Chris turned out to be right.

He made it back onto the dais and the head table without having to make small talk. Thankfully.

"So?" Jack asked casually as Chris took his seat.

Chris filled both Jack and Teal'c in on the court intrigue while the constant talking droned in the background. What he should have done was told Jack to take Ezra and Josiah and he'd take a vacation. Hindsight was perfect though, wasn't it?

"You and Ezra can go," Chris told Jack. "I'll keep an eye on things here."

"Uh-un," Jack said. "We're all going. If they want to trot out the aliens to impress their friends, we're all going."

Chris didn't exactly like being given orders. Who was he kidding? He downright couldn't stand being given orders. He was about to get up and walk away when Jack tapped him on the shoulder.

"I have to go, you're going. Ever hear the saying, misery loves company? Well, you're my company."

Well, since he put it that way, Chris supposed he could make it through one more party. As long as that stunning woman with the flame red hair wasn't going to be there. Her and her six arms and roving hands.

*****


	15. 15

*****

Late in the spring, high up in the mountains like they were, nights were downright cold. Snow lingered at the higher elevations, including the high valley the compound nestled in. Vin finished starting his fire in the stove and sat down to eat his dinner. When Jack called in earlier to say that SG1 would be gone at least another night, Vin had had enough. He'd been cooped up in the damn mountain way too long.

Even if his home was empty, it was still his home. It wasn't much, only three rooms and a bathroom, but it was plenty big enough for him and Chris. Buck and JD lived across the clearing and Ezra, Nathan and Josiah each had small homes beyond a thick stand of trees. 

It hadn't taken long for the crews to turn the old training buildings into small houses for the seven and even though Vin wanted to build his own house, he saw the advantages of letting the SGC do it soon enough. For one, they'd get out of the damn mountain a lot sooner. The construction was of higher quality than he and Chris would have done, too. Vin could admit that. Insulation and double paned windows were some of those modern conveniences he'd taken to right away.

Vin ate his spaghetti as he looked for signs of spring. The table sat nestled in a alcove off the small kitchen, windows covering all three walls. It faced east, away from the clearing and toward the rising sun. Early evening left a chill in the room, but with the stove roaring it wasn't more than a little nip to the air. 

Vin dutifully ate his second bowl of spaghetti even though he wasn't hungry. He'd promised Jack he'd try to keep Daniel's body as big as it was when he ended up in it. He didn't like having to think about what he was eating. If he was hungry, he ate. If he wasn't, he didn't. But he'd do what he was asked because he knew it wasn't his body and he still hoped to get his own body back. Even though the weeks dragged on and on and on.

He got used to taking pills a few times a day and shots once a week. He got used to having short hair and being as tall as Chris. He got used to banging various parts of his body on corners and doorways. His judgment about how much space he took up was completely off. It seemed like every single time he walked into a door frame or banged his hand as he turned a corner, Buck was there laughing at him.

He'd laughed right back at Buck, in the beginning. It was funnier then. One thing he still hadn't gotten used to was looking at Daniel's face when he looked in the mirror. He didn't think he'd ever get used to that.

Just as Vin finished washing his dishes and setting them out to dry, his radio crackled to life. He answered it quickly; maybe Chris was back early.

"Tanner," he said as he pressed the button.

"Vin?"

"Yeah, Buck?"

"Can you come get me?"

Buck sounded upset. Vin wished again that Chris was there. 

"Vin? You there?"

"Where are you?" Vin asked.

"I'm in the mountain. I can stay here tonight if you're tucked in already."

Aw hell, Buck sounded like he was about to cry now. "No, it's okay, give me some time to warm up the bike and I'll be there, all right?"

"Thanks, I'm with the doc."

Vin grabbed his keys and jacket and headed out into the cold. It wasn't that he didn't want to help Buck. Buck had helped him so often that Vin wouldn't turn his back on him no matter what. Who was he kidding, Vin wouldn't turn his back on any of his friends, but least of all Buck. 

When he pulled up to the main entrance to the mountain, Buck stood there waiting for him. He wasn't wearing a coat and his cheeks were pink from the cold. Vin left the bike running and drove up alongside him. He handed the helmet over without saying anything and waited for Buck to climb on behind him. 

"Can we go for a ride?" Buck yelled into his ear and Vin nodded. 

His bike could drive on and off road and Vin decided to go off. He'd explored a lot of the mountain over the past months and he knew the perfect place for a ride. As they went off road, Buck's hold on him tightened.

He drove around for a good hour, until the sun had nearly set, before he headed back to the compound. Maybe whatever was stuck in Buck's craw would be gone now.

"You wanna come in? Maybe have some dinner?" Buck asked Vin as he climbed off the bike in front of he and JD's house.

"I already ate."

Buck's face fell and Vin couldn't stand it. He knew Buck wanted company and with everyone else gone, Vin was it. 

"I'll come in for a beer, though."

"I think I got some cake left, too. It's not as good as Inez's, but it's passable. JD bought some boxes of the stuff down at the store."

"Cake in boxes?"

"Yeah, JD took a liking to them even though it's not the real thing. He likes that PX store. You been there?"

"Nah, I let Chris do the shopping."

"That's awful nice of you," Buck said, finally grinning a little. 

Maybe the ride did make Buck feel a little better. Vin put his bike in the little shed where he and JD stored their bikes. Vin was itching to go ride his horse, but he couldn't get anyone to take him there. Once the ground thawed enough, they were going to build a barn for the horses. Summer couldn't be there soon enough as far as Vin was concerned.

By the time Vin joined Buck inside, Buck had a fire going and some food in the little box that cooked up food faster than Vin had ever thought possible.

It smelled pretty good and Vin took a closer look. Looked like a burrito.

"JD likes these things, but they make me think of Inez and how good her food tasted."

Vin sure hoped Buck wouldn't start to bawlin again and if anything would set him off, it would probably be thinking about Inez. When he looked up though, Buck was smiling. 

"When Doctor Jackson has time, he's gonna help me and JD find our grandkids."

"I still can't believe you and JD got grandkids in common," Vin said as he sipped on his beer. It didn't taste as good as he was used to, but he drank it out of habit. Besides, Buck would laugh at him if he asked for wine. 

"Can I ask you something, Vin?" Buck said when he'd finished his dinner. Seeing Vin's nod, Buck went on. "You having strange dreams?"

"What do ya mean?"

"I been having dreams about people I never met and seein' things I never seen. I thought they were dreams until I saw a picture in Doctor Carter's lab."

"The people in your dreams?"

"Yeah," Buck said as he grabbed a couple more beers. "It's like some of her memories are still in here," Buck tapped the mouth of the beer bottle to his temple. "Hell, I know it sounds crazy, but this is all crazy, ain't it?"

"You ain't crazy, Bucklin. I been having dreams too."

"Think we should tell the doc?"

"Probably, but you think maybe it can wait till Chris gets back?"

Buck thought on it some, then nodded at Vin. He went silent for a minute, staring into Vin's eyes.

"What?" Vin asked when Buck's staring got uncomfortable.

"You think they have our memories?"

"I hope not," Vin said softly after he drained his beer. The room went silent again while they both thought about what that could mean. Vin didn't think he wanted someone else being privy to his most private thoughts and memories. He sure as hell didn't like having the dreams or memories or whatever the hell they were that he was having. He thought the sex dreams were bad... he'd never even had sex with a woman and he dreamt about it nearly every night.

But the worst dreams started while Chris was gone. A strange room with giant rocks... two people crushed under the falling stone and Daniel's voice screaming for his parents. 

A new one last night. Jack stuck to the wall of the gateroom, a long metal spike through him... helpless to do anything while he slowly died... Spending the night with Buck instead of alone was probably a pretty good idea.

Buck returned to the table and placed a huge piece of chocolate cake in front of Vin. "Okay then we wait until Chris comes back. How about some cake and a baseball game?"

"Sounds good, Buck." 

"You want to stay here tonight? JD won't mind you taking his bed."

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea," Vin finally answered. Relief spread over Buck's features. "You think maybe we should talk to Daniel and Sam before we go to the doctor?"

"Might be a good idea, Vin. You going to be all right if they make you see that crazy doctor?"

Vin followed Buck to the couch and dropped onto half of it, spreading out and balancing his plate in his lap. He shook his head. He said he wasn't going to talk to that crazy man again and he meant it.

"You gonna spill what he did to make you go after him? Ain't like you to do that."

If Buck was still Buck and not Major Carter, Vin probably wouldn't have told. But the way he was staring up at him, big blue eyes filled with sympathy... and nary a laugh in sight. "He said Chris was a killer."

"Hell, Vin, according to the standards of this time, we're all killers. There's a difference between a killer and a murderer and you know it."

Vin picked at his cake. It weren't too bad. He might have to get some for himself.

"What else did he say?" Buck asked softly. 

"You know that scar I got?" Vin asked without looking at Buck.

"You got lots... like we all do. You talking about the one on your shoulder?"

Vin nodded. He couldn't say what the doctor said-- it was too ugly.

"Vin?" Buck asked, real close to him now. "Did that man accuse Chris of putting it there?"

Vin nodded again. "He used all sorts of fancy words that I couldn't hardly understand but he got real personal. Said they'd jail Chris to keep him away from me for my safety."

"You tell Chris any of this?"

"Hell, no. Chris would have made him think he was right. Besides, I showed him I was plenty capable of taking care of myself. He wouldn't listen to a damn thing I said. So I figured I'd show 'em."

"You did at that, Junior!" Buck's loud laughter nearly made Vin fall off the couch. 

"I guess I did," Vin said, smiling a little. Even in the wrong body, Buck's laughter spread faster than any plague ever could.

"You want to watch baseball or hockey?" Buck asked as he turned on the small television.

"Don't care," Vin said around a yawn. Buck flipped to hockey and Vin polished off his cake, then got comfortable on the couch. Buck pulled a couple of blankets from the trunk that served as a table and handed one over to Vin.

"Thanks," Vin mumbled as he covered himself. Game was just getting good. He wanted to try that ice skating thing some day. 

Vin woke in the darkness, completely disoriented at first. The warm body pressed against his side was too squishy to be Chris. Maybe he was having another one of them women dreams. He sniffed a little and recognized the scent Buck had taken to wearing. Smelled like new grass. A nice, clean, outdoor smell. He got a little more comfortable on his half of the couch and decided more sleep would be in order. 

*****


End file.
